Crumbling Soul
by MistyPaws
Summary: Shiro gets the short end of the stick when an experiment goes horribly wrong. Thrust into an unfamiliar situation, Shiro is left confused and powerless while Ichigo has to find a way to undo the damage before it's too late. *Companion Fic to Asking For Trouble*
1. The Nel Effect

Ch 1: The Nel Effect

 **A huge thank you to my beta Lily D. Cave, who has helped to make this story much better than it otherwise would be.**

 **Note: Crumbling Soul is set soon after Asking For Trouble. AFT is also currently undergoing revision, so if you have read AFT and notice something off in CS, please let me know. I am working on it, but don't want to accidentally miss something and get it wrong.**

-C-S-

Ichigo woke slowly, struggling to open his eyes and figure out what was going on. Momentarily giving up on waking, he tried to remember what had happened before he went unconscious. He had finished his work in Soul Society, and had been heading to the Senkaimon to visit the World of the Living. But he didn't remember ever making it there, so whatever happened, must have been on the way. The last thing he could recall was being attacked from behind, then blacking out moments later.

Suddenly panicked, the adrenaline rush gave him the energy he needed to open his eyes and look around. The first thing he noticed was the cluttered lab he was in. The second thing he noticed was that he was trapped behind a glass barrier, and suspended in what seemed to be liquid reishi, though he could still breathe. The final thing he noticed was he had numerous bands around his wrists and neck, which he could feel splitting apart the different parts of his reiryoku. Bringing a hand up to his back and the other to his waist, he was concerned but unsurprised to find both Zangetsu's missing.

' _Where is this? It's clearly a lab of some sort. Wait… Lab... Please don't let this be Mayuri's work!'_ Ichigo silently begged. His hopes were shot down when an unpleasantly familiar face entered the room.

"Well well, finally awake. Now we can begin the experiment." Mayuri stated cheerfully.

Ichigo's current thought process was a rather colourful string of curses, but he managed to work past it to ask, "What experiment? Why have you brought me here?"

"Oh, ever since I found out about the incident that created the Visored, I've been interested in Hollowfication. You are simply the first one I've been able to catch. And what an experiment this will be!" Mayuri explained. "I needed you awake for this, so you could control the side effects that are likely to occur. Shall we get started?"

Ichigo's immediate response was "Hell, no!" But it went ignored as Mayuri started up a series of devices. The bands began to glow, pulling his reiatsu apart. The longer it lasted, the more it hurt. And more reiatsu was continuously pulled out, the black separating from the blue. However, Ichigo had to ignore the pain as a more pressing problem began to manifest itself. Tendrils of black crawled across his vision as fragments of mask began to form on his face. The more unstable his reiatsu became, the faster he began to hollowfy, barely managing to hold on to his sanity.

"What are you doing!?" Ichigo demanded. Mayuri regarded his question with disinterest before responding. "I am extracting the traces of Hollow energy from your power. You are doing a wonderful job of keeping that power from taking over and merging with you. Keeping it separate from yourself and preventing full Hollowfication makes the extraction much easier for me."

Ichigo was horrified at the explanation, not only because Mayuri was splitting his soul, but because he didn't want to lose someone he had come to care about. Then he had another thought. ' _You really shouldn't have told me that. If he needs us to stay separate…'_ He was cut off by another wave of pain, then he turned his focus to his inner world.

" _Shiro! I'm going to let you take over, do whatever you can to get us out of here, just try not to kill anyone that's not an enemy! We can't stay separate and let him split us!"_

" _ **Che, fine! Let me out then!"**_ There was a burst of distinctly Hollow reiatsu, then a bright red flash of a Cero discharged from where Ichigo had been. Glass shattered and the liquid flew everywhere, then Ichigo was out, now with a whole mask formed over his face.

"You stupid boy! This could have gone so much easier for both of us if you had simply cooperated! Now we have to do this the hard way!" Mayuri cursed. With Shiro now fully in control, he began charging another Cero in his hands, this one stronger than the last. Right when he was about to release it, the blast misfired as the bands glowed brighter, entering the final stage, and the pain became so great it was paralysing. Shiro crumpled to the floor, Ichigo and Zangetsu not faring any better in their mindscape as all of them were consumed. The moment Shiro lost control, he was torn away from Ichigo and formed beside the limp body of his wielder.

The bands shut down as the process finished. Staggering to his feet, Shiro spotted Ichigo's blades across the room. With an unsteady sonido he reached them in a single step and grabbed hold of them. In an instant he dissolved his other half's blade, and used his own to activate his incomplete Bankai. At this point though there was almost no energy left to compress into it, and the transformation was little more than a change of outfit and blade. He ignored Ichigo, who was standing and tearing the bands off, but unable to fight since Shiro had his sword. Now clothed in his white Bankai cloak and demonic looking mask, Shiro raised his thin Tensa Zangetsu and charged at the one who had injured them.

Several blows were exchanged, but then Mayuri struck hard and fast. There was an audible ' _CRACK'_ when Mayuri missed, hitting the mask and throwing the already weakened Hollow into the wall. Shiro fell to the floor in a heap, blood flowing from a jagged wound across his head. Ichigo took the momentary pause in the fighting to grab his Hollow and sword, then shunpo as fast as he could away through the newly created hole in the wall. Shinigami immediately began to flock towards the scene of destruction, and he recognised Soi-Fon leading the way.

Figuring Soi-Fon's squad would be enough of a distraction to keep anyone from following him, Ichigo shifted Shiro to get a better grip and went for the Senkaimon as fast as he could. The Hollow part of his Zanpakuto hung limply over Ichigo's shoulder, and Ichigo wondered if he was even still conscious.

Ichigo kept running until he had made it to the Senkaimon, pausing only long enough to call back his swords and activate his seals that would allow him to enter the Living Realm. In a matter of minutes he had traversed the Dangai and made it to the other world. He went straight to his house and up to his room, depositing Shiro onto his bed. Pulling out a box of medical stuff from under his desk, he looked over to where his Hollow lay. Most of the mask was missing, and there was a concerning amount of blood around the edges of the remaining piece.

Only a small segment with several red stripes remained, the rest of the mask had been shattered and the skin surrounding it violently torn apart. Shiro was also leaking large amounts of reiatsu at an alarming rate, far more than even Ichigo released. It was more like the energy was being lost, rather than simply being emitted by the spiritual body. In fact such a huge quantity had been lost, that the strength of his spiritual pressure was far lower than it had ever been.

Black reiatsu suddenly flared up and covered Shiro's body, only to disappear moments later, leaving behind something that shocked Ichigo. Shiro was now a child with a small cracked mask fragment that started above his left eye, and ended at the center of his face, still patterned with the red markings. A shrunken version of his white Zangetsu had materialised in a sheath on his back, held on by the black rosary strap. Ichigo was immediately reminded of Nel, and how her damaged mask fragment had caused her to become a much weaker child version of herself.

Refocusing on the task at hand, Ichigo took the sword away and opened his box of supplies to patch up the beaten child as best he could. The mask fragment was in the way, but he soon found out it could not be removed, so he was forced to work around it. Putting a bandage around the area was much more difficult than normal, but after a few tries, he managed to secure it anyway. Satisfied the wound was protected enough to begin healing, he cleaned up and placed a barrier around his room that would alert him if anyone came or went.

He gently tucked the blanket around the sleeping child, then sat next to him on the bed, thoroughly exhausted. After several minutes of debate, he pulled out his Soul Pager and sent Rukia a message, asking her to investigate what happened at the SRDI, and to make sure no one from that Squad came to the World of the Living. It only took a minute for her to reply, confirming his request, then asking why. All he told her was that she would find out when she got there, then closed the pager. By now it was dark outside, and he was fighting exhaustion.

Too tired to bother doing anything else, he simply grabbed another blanket from his closet and scooted the child over so they could share the space. Leaving the desk lamp on, he lay down and pulled the blanket over himself, deciding to trust Rukia to keep the others away while he got some much needed sleep. His pager chimed again, and he just reached over to hit the 'silent' button, not even seeing the message that had been received, which read, " _I'll be there first thing in the morning. I want to know exactly what happened so I can figure out who to kill first. You better give me the whole story Strawberry, or else."_

-C-S-

Ichigo woke early the next morning with a heavy weight on his chest, feeling uncomfortably hot. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see little Shiro laying on him, arms wrapped around his neck. Moving Shiro and sitting up, he ended up sitting with Shiro cradled in his lap and arms. The movement had started to rouse the child, and Ichigo did a brief examination before he woke completely. Shiro was shivering, even though his body was burning up and had a slight sweat going. The bandage had come loose during the night, slipping down to reveal jagged scars forming around the edges of the fragment.

Blinking his tired eyes open, Chibi Shiro sat up and stared at the one who had woken him. His head throbbed, making him reach up to hold his head, only to stop when the touch made the pain worse. He turned and latched onto his much older counterpart, holding onto him and breaking down in tears.

"Ichi-nii! What happened? Why am I hurt? Are you hurt too?" Shiro asked, choking over his words from speaking and crying at the same time. Ichigo, moving past the shock of this smaller Shiro calling him "Ichi-nii", returned the hug. Nonetheless, he focused on Shiro and answered his questions.

"We had a run in with the mad scientist Captain of the Twelfth. You got caught in the middle of the fight with him, then we both managed to escape. You took a nasty blow to the head and your mask shattered, but you should be okay. I'm okay too, you protected me from Captain Creepy. Do you remember?"

Shiro sat in his lap, nervously glancing around while he thought for a minute. "A little. There's lots of pieces, but they don't fit together."

Ichigo felt his heart sinking even before he asked his next question, almost certain of what the answer would be. "Can you tell me exactly who I am and who you are?"

Shiro kept fidgeting, but gave him a curious look. "Why?"

"Everything's fine, I just want to check something." Ichigo replied carefully.

"Oh, okay. You're Ichi-nii, I'm Shiro." Little Shiro said, confirming Ichigo's suspicion.

"What's your real name? Shiro is your nickname." Ichigo gently pressed.

"Um… Something with moon? I don't know. I'm Shiro, right Ichi?" Shiro asked anxiously.

"Of course it is, Shiro is just the short version. Your real name is Shirogetsu, which means White Moon, but I can just call you Shiro if you want." Ichigo offered. He received a shaky nod in reply, and he let the child lean into him again, as if seeking protection.

' _He thinks I'm his big brother, and didn't remember his full name. He also seems really jumpy and nervous, although I guess that's not surprising. After all, he did wake up hurt with his memories impaired.'_

Ichigo felt a Senkaimon open nearby, and he tried to nudge Shiro off his lap so he could leave, but he was dozing off with a firm grip on his Shihakusho. Rukia landed outside his window moments later and paused with her hand on the glass, taking in the odd scene in front of her. Ichigo was sitting with a tiny pale child in his lap, part of his face hidden from the way he had curled up against Ichigo's chest.

Though she didn't recognize the child right away, she could tell something was seriously wrong with him. Both of them, actually. Ichigo's reiatsu was significantly lower than it should have been, and the child wasn't radiating reiatsu as much as it was… leaking, for lack of a better description. Not to mention how similar it was to Ichigo's. Receiving the okay to come in, Rukia eased the window open and dropped onto the bed.

"What happened to him?" She asked quietly, pointing to the unraveling bandage around the small head.

"Mayuri happened," Ichigo replied bitterly, holding the child closer to him at the name. "I don't know how much you already know, but he tried to experiment on me because I'm a Visored. I let Shirogetsu - you know, the hollow half of zangetsu - take over and somehow we got separated.

"During the fight Mayuri hit him in the face and broke his mask". Ichigo carefully shifted the sleeping child in his arms so Rukia could get a better look. The petite shinigami immediately noticed the mask shard that was still attached to the child's face, as well as the facial similarities he wore to Ichigo.

"You mean this is Shirogetsu?" When Ichigo nodded in confirmation, something clicked in her brain. "When an Arrancar's mask breaks they revert to a childlike form, like Nel. That's what happened to Shirogetsu."

"Yeah. I don't know how I can fix it, and I can't return him to the inner world so he can heal. I can feel him pulling on my reiatsu, but I think he became almost completely separate from me when that bastard split us apart. So until I can figure something out, he's gonna have to hang around like this for now." Ichigo stated.

"Is there any other major injury to him besides the mask?" Rukia questioned.

"Not physical wounds, but there's definitely mental injury, especially to his memory. It isn't gone, it's just… broken I guess. Everything's there, he just can't quite fit the pieces together to make complete memories. And he doesn't really know who I am, he seems to think I'm his big brother." Ichigo explained. "Maybe we could have Dad take a look at him, see if he can help us out at all."

"It's worth a try." Rukia agreed. "I would rather not take either of you back to Soul Society right away. I would rather wait until things settle down, or at until Soi-Fon decides she needs to drag you back to interrogate you."

"That and the fact Captain Creepy is still there." Ichigo added.

"Oh, Captain Kurotsuchi? He wouldn't be able to bother us. The Onmitsukido arrived just after you left, and there was enough evidence left behind, they were able to take him in right away. Right now he's being held until everything can be fully processed, but they got the evidence. It is a major offense for him to have gone after you, and I can assure you he will not get off easily." Their conversation was halted by the sound of loud footsteps rushing up the stairs. Rukia stepped between Ichigo and the door right as Isshin burst in, easily throwing him to the ground.

"My lovely third daughter, why?" Isshin moaned from the floor.

"Uh, Dad? Did you not realise I'm holding someone? If you attacked me, you might have hurt him! Be more careful!" Ichigo scolded. "And here I was, thinking about asking for your help."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Isshin became serious as he sat up and registered the child in his son's lap.

"My Zanpakuto and I had a run in with Mayuri. The Hollow half didn't make it out unscathed though. His mask got broken off and the loss of reiryoku made his body shrink. Normally, we're pretty much identical. " Ichigo gently nudged Shiro awake again, and Isshin took in the gold on black eyes and the shard of bone on the child's face.

' _That part of Zangetsu is a Hollowfied copy of you? But his physical age… I had no idea Zanpakuto could regress like that. Aside from colour, he looks just like Ichigo when he was little. '_ Isshin thought.

"This is Shiro by the way. We were wondering if you could check him over, I'm not sure if the mask is the only thing that got damaged."

"I can certainly take a look. Let's go downstairs." Ichigo lifted Shiro off his lap, standing next to him and letting the child take his hand as they followed the others down to the clinic.

"Dad, is that you?" Yuzu came around the corner when she heard the clinic door open. "Is someone here?"

"I just have something to take care of Yuzu. Don't worry about it." The three spirits behind him stepped into the clinic while Isshin talked with his daughter. He came in after having satisfied her curiosity.

"No spirit sight today?" Ichigo asked.

"Not today it seems." Isshin replied cheerfully. "Her sight is still developing after all, it's bound to be unstable."

"Isshi-jii?" A small voice piped up.

"Hm? Isshin looked momentarily confused, before realizing who had spoken.

"Yes, Shiro?"

"I don't feel good…"

"I know. I'm gonna see what I can do to make you feel better, 'kay?"

"Okay."

"Alright, so hop on up here so we can get started." Isshin helped Shiro up onto the exam table then turned around to gather some supplies from his spirit medic kit. Seeing the crowded room, Rukia opted to stand out of the way by the door and watch.

"You too, Ichigo. I want to take a look at both of you." Isshin ordered.

"But-"

"Ichigo."

"...Alright, fine." Ichigo sat next to Shiro as Isshin turned back to them. He cleaned the raw and scarring tissue around Shiro's mask, then put a simple antibiotic on it. Using better fitting bandages he recovered the wound and shard, making sure it wouldn't accidentally come off again. When that was done he gave them both a physical examination, then checked their vital signs. Aside from both of them having a slight fever, nothing else seemed physically wrong.

"I've done what I can, but this is more than a physical problem. Something is spiritually damaged, and unfortunately that's not my area of expertise. I wish I could do more to help, but you should go see Kisuke or Captain Unohana about this."

"I guess our next step is Kisuke then. I'd rather not go back to Soul Society right away."

"Kisuke?" Shiro piped up.

"Yeah."

"No!" Shiro clung to Ichigo as his eyes filled with fear.

"We just need Kisuke to see if he can find anything, and then we'll leave. We won't stay long, okay?"

"NO! He's gonna hurt us! He's hurt us before and he'll do it again!" Seeing the tears forming, Ichigo pulled the child into his lap. He allowed him to hold tighter as he gently returned the gesture, wrapped his arms around him in an attempt of comfort.

"Kisuke hurt you? What did he do?" Isshin prompted.

"He cut our s-soul chain and threw us in a deep hole. He l-left us there, for a long time, it- the chain, was hurting us. It t-tore a hole in us, then everything was falling apart." He began to cry harder, the memory having upset him.

"The Shattered Shaft…" Ichigo whispered. "I had no idea it had traumatised him. I don't even remember that. All I know is what Kisuke told me." Rukia stepped into the room, hopping up on the table with Ichigo to try and help. Isshin backed off, leaving it between Ichigo and Rukia to calm his Zanpakuto. Rukia ran a hand through his hair, while Ichigo began rubbing small circles on his back. He slowly rocked side-to-side with him, hoping to calm him down.

"Self defense." Isshin suddenly spoke.

"What?"

"It's one of the mind's forms of defense. If you've had a traumatic experience, sometimes the mind will block out any memory of the event in an attempt to protect itself. You were aware of everything happening, and there was nothing that could have damaged your memory. It is still buried somewhere in your subconscious, somewhere deep inside your mind. Shiro is a core part of your soul, and as such his memory cannot be lost. That is why he is only confused, and not amnesic."

"If you remembered what happened, you would be just as traumatised as he is."

"If it was really that bad… I guess I can see why he's so upset." Ichigo relented. Shiro was starting to quiet down, the emotional outburst having worn him out.

"Even if he knows why," Isshin continued, "the fact remains that it happened, and it left a scar. You can't make a horrific event okay simply by throwing reason into it. You are lucky you don't remember. He unfortunately, was not."

"Yeah… Sorry, Shiro." The apology went unheard, as the exhausted child had fallen asleep from the emotional drain.

"We should still go see Kisuke, even if we don't really want to. He knows enough that he should be able to help us. And now would probably be the best time, seeing as Shiro's sleeping. If we're quick enough we can be done before he wakes up." Ichigo gathered Shiro in his arms once more, sliding off the table to stand.

"Take care of him." Isshin rested a hand on little Shiro's messy hair, a soft but sad expression crossing his face. "And take care of yourself too."

"I will. Thanks, dad." Isshin saw them out to the door, accepting their short goodbyes as they left the clinic. He hoped they could find a way to restore themselves before things got too out of hand.

-C-S-

"Kisuke! Kisuke, where are you?!" Ichigo called into the shop. It's keeper was nowhere in sight, and Ichigo wanted to be done with this before Shiro woke up.

Rukia stepped forward and cleared her throat ready to put in her two yen. "Urahara! Get out here and make yourself useful!"

"I'm here, I'm here." He emerged from a back room, fan in hand. "Now, mind explaining why you come bringing chaos to my shop?"

"We need help stabilizing Shiro. Dad did what he could for him, but he was only able to treat the physical wounds. He said you would be able to help more with the spiritual power part of things."

"You need me to stabilize Shiro?" He noted the child in Ichigo's arms, bearing a striking resemblance to the mentioned Hollow. When he spotted the shard on his face it only confirmed who he was. "What have you all done this time?"

"We got in a fight, and his mask got destroyed. His physical form changed, and I can't return him to the inner world."

"That certainly sounds like a complicated situation. Bring him inside and I will see what I can do for you."

"Alright, thanks.".

"Hm." Kisuke hummed in acknowledgement as he lead them to a room in the back, taking only a moment to get them settled. Then he left, only to come back a few minutes later with a handful of items.

"First things first, he's leaking reiatsu far more quickly than he can generate it. As a matter of fact, I don't believe he's actually producing any reiryoku of his own right now. So we need to contain the leak before too much is lost." Putting on a pair of gloves, he opened a small packet and took out a handful of tiny sticky squares. Tracing a finger along the broken edge of the mask, he was able to find the 'crack' in his reiryoku and started pasting the sticky squares over the source of the leak. They fused to his skin then dissolved into it, leaving no trace they had ever even been there.

"He's not leaking anymore. Did those just seal it up?" Ichigo asked.

"In a sense, yes. Think of the leak as a crack in a container. I've just put a patch on it to plug the leak. However, these are only a temporary solution, they will eventually fade away. When that happens we will be right back where we started unless you find a way to restore him to his original self."

"Will he start making his own reiryoku now that it's been sealed?"

"Unlikely. He should have already been making it, but he wasn't. The only other way he could be sustaining himself is if he is taking reiryoku from another source. Namely, you." Kisuke pointed to Ichigo with his fan.

"Taking reiryoku from me? It makes sense, he's part of me after all."

"There is another problem as well. If part of a soul is this sick and wounded, they should automatically be returned to their Shinigami's inner world so they can heal. The fact he has not done so suggests it is not possible. While he is unable to return, your reiryoku, which is your life force, is trying to support two living beings. The longer he remains outside, the more strain will be put on your life force. If this situation is not resolved, both of your lives are put at risk. And so is Zangetsu's other half." Kisuke retrieved a device from the items he had brought in, fiddling with the band for a moment before slipping it over Shiro's wrist and snapping it closed. By now Shiro was starting to come to, and Ichigo had to hold Shiro to keep him still.

"This is the same type of band I gave Nel to allow her to change forms. If he starts to recover his own reiryoku, this will help him change back. Until then, it would be best for him to stay in a place with a high saturation of reishi to help keep him stable."

"I guess we just go back to Soul Society then. We can't stay away for long anyways, right Rukia?"

"Yeah, we're needed at our squads. And you've been gone since who knows when yesterday. Your Captain's not gonna be happy if you don't show up soon."

"Ugh…" Ichigo moaned in frustration. "I don't want to deal with him in a bad mood. Is Shiro ready to go?"

"Yes. I've done all I can, it's up to you now. Good luck."

"Thanks. Let's go then. Rukia, can you put Shiro on my back?" He knelt down as Rukia did as he requested and Shiro latched onto him.

"Are we going home now?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah. Back home to Soul Society."

Shiro stiffened. "But the bad Captain is there."

"He's been taken care of. We don't have to worry about him, okay?"

"Okay…" Rukia opened the Senkaimon and they stepped through, Kisuke waving a cheery goodbye to them.

-C-S-

 **A/N: This is going to be different from the typical kid fic. It's not gonna be all humor and fun, it's meant to be more serious. This story will be my primary focus for now. I do have work, school, and the like, but I will do my best to keep up on this.**

 _ **EDIT: 5/13/18- Ch1 has been completely rewritten, and has been split into two separate chapters due to the added material making it significantly longer than it originally was.**_


	2. Turmoil

Ch 2: Turmoil

 **A/N: Chapter 1 has been completely rewritten and major changes have been made, so please go back and read that before continuing with this chapter.**

-C-S-

Unohana finished her morning rounds, getting ready to head out from her division. News of yesterday had spread fast, and she was expecting Ichigo to show up sooner rather than later. Before that happened she needed to get more information on what had actually happened. She had only heard rumors, and so far the only solid facts were that Ichigo had been seen fleeing the scene of the fight at Mayuri's lab. Either way she needed more solid information before meeting Ichigo.

And so, leaving Isane in charge of the Division, Unohana set out for the SRDI.

A short walk later found her at the remains of Mayuri's private lab, the structure having partially collapsed after yesterday's fight. Unohana turned to Nemu, who had escorted her in.

"Could you tell me just what Captain Kurotsuchi was trying to do when this happened?" Unohana questioned.

"Of course. Master Mayuri wished to study the Hollow portion of a Visored's power, and thus decided to capture and experiment with Ichigo Kurosaki. I retrieved Kurosaki and brought him here. Master Mayuri attempted to separate Kurosaki's Hollow energy, but due to unforeseen events, ended up pulling the Hollow out as a completely separate being. The Hollow proceeded to attack, causing his mask to be broken in the resulting fight. Kurosaki immediately took the Hollow and fled, and we have not seen either since." Nemu explained.

Unohana studied the lingering spirit energy, almost overwhelmed with what her senses were trying to take in. In places there were four distinct energies which belonged to Mayuri, Nemu, Ichigo, and Shirogetsu, that was clear and simple. But then in other places Ichigo and Shirogetsu's energies were mixed together, making them even harder to read. In addition to all this the energy had faded and blurred together since the time of the incident, making anything difficult to read at best.

"I assume the Onmitsukido has everything?" She asked.

"Yes. They worked through the night and finished their investigation earlier this morning, taking the evidence back with them."

"I will have to have a chat with them then, they have something I may need. I understand you are in charge for the time being?"

"That is correct."

"Very well, I shall take my leave then, I'm sure you are very busy."

"Thank you. I will do my best to manage my Squad." Nemu bowed to the Captain and led the way out. A short 'good day' and Unohana was on her way. By now it was already turning to evening, time having gone by faster than she realised. She would have to hurry if she wanted to talk to Soi-Fon before she had to go back the Fourth for evening rounds. Thankfully it wasn't too far and she was able to arrive quickly, being met at the entrance by the former Squad 2 Captain.

"Captain Unohana." Soi-Fon gave a slight bow to the older Captain, before straightening back up to meet her eyes. "What can I do for you? If it is about the investigation of the SRDI, it has already been completed and everything is being processed right now."

"I have already visited the scene, and was informed you have something I may be needing shortly."

"Depends on what it is, I cannot give up anything that has not been processed yet."

"The Hollow mask shards. If Kurosaki-san and his Hollow were truly hurt in all this, they are likely to come to me soon enough. A Hollow's mask is a part of them, and it is only right to return it to him."

"Why do you care about this? It is only a Hollow, isn't it?"

"That 'Hollow' is half of Kurosaki's Zanpakuto. You wouldn't deprive him of that, would you?"

"No, I suppose not. Fortunately it has already been processed, so it is no problem if you take it." Soi-Fon moved away from the conversation to retrieve the requested shards. She returned moments later with a plastic bag and handed it over to the healer.

"That is everything we were able to retrieve, but our attempt to stop it from dissolving has only partially worked. It has slowed down, but not stopped. The reishi from the part that has already dissolved is trapped in there with the remaining shards."

"Thank you." Unohana took her leave, noting the time. It was already late in the evening, the sun hanging low in the sky. She had spent most of the day running errands, and needed to return to her Squad for evening rounds. It was only a matter of time before Ichigo came, and she had to be ready for when he arrived.

-C-S-

"It wasn't this cold yesterday." Ichigo complained as they stepped into Seireitei. "I know the cold doesn't bother you much, but none of us have coats."

"It's not too cold, as long as we keep moving you should be fine. We should walk though, using shunpo will only strain your reiryoku right now." They moved at a quick but steady pace, wanting to get out of the cold sooner rather than later. A while later they arrived at the First and went straight to Ichigo's room. They needed a break and time to fully grasp everything that had happened. Putting the exhausted child to bed, they simply sat in silence for a few minutes. At least until Ichigo released a frustrated sigh, leaning back in his seat.

"I still can't believe this happened. And I don't have any clue how to fix it either. But if I don't, then it's a big problem for me and both my Zanpakuto." Ichigo paused, considering something.

"Kuso! I haven't even heard from Kurogetsu since it happened, I don't know if he's okay or not. I should have checked on him sooner!"

"Do it now then. I'm here, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

"Thanks, Rukia." Ichigo slipped from the chair to the floor, placing Zangetsu's smaller half in his lap. Closing his eyes, all it took was a mental pull to find himself in his Inner World. Looking around, he immediately knew something wasn't right. Large cracks ran through the windows of the building he was standing on, and upon quick examination the others appeared the same way.

"Kurogetsu! Where are you?" Ichigo called out. He started searching the endless city, set on finding his Zanpakuto. Hours seemed to pass, and he was growing tired of his search. He was about ready to give up when a faint reiatsu brushed against his senses.

"Getsu!" Whipping around, he took off once more in the direction the energy had come from. In the distance he finally saw the black figure, lying motionless on the ground. He rushed closer, but before he could reach him, everything faded in a black mist.

-C-S-

"Ichigo?" Rukia was becoming concerned by how long the young Shinigami had been in his Inner World. He rarely took this long, it had been almost two hours since he had left. Sweat had started to form on his face a while ago, and his breathing had become heavy. Suddenly, without any warning he collapsed, his mind no longer in his world or in reality.

"Ichigo!" Rukia caught him before he could fall completely to the ground, holding him to herself. Actually touching him she realized how hot his body had become, and how little strength was left in him.

"Ichigo, wake up!" She tried desperately to wake him up, shaking, begging, hitting, but nothing was working. If anything, he was rapidly getting worse.

"CAPTAIN!" Rukia shouted in panic, hoping Ichigo's Captain would hear her. Footsteps came quickly down the hall, stopping in front of the open doorway.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki. What is going on here?" Aizen demanded. Between his unconscious Lieutenant and the panicked girl, he took the situation in immediately. He also saw the Hollow on Ichigo's bed, noting the similar condition as well as the broken mask shard.

"Take the child. We're going to the Fourth." Aizen lifted Ichigo from Rukia's arms, allowing her to do as he ordered. The two vanished in a rush of shunpo, only to reappear several minutes later at the entrance to the Fourth. Snow fell around them as they were met by the medic's receiving team, having been alerted by their sudden appearance. As they were taken inside they were intercepted by Unohana, who dismissed the other medics.

"Come with me. I already have a room for them." Unohana led them further into the Division, presumably to a private room.

"Captain Unohana, you were expecting us?" Rukia asked.

"Yes. When I heard the rumors, I did some of my own investigation to find out what actually happened. I suspected they would end up here, so I wanted to be prepared." Unohana explained. "Here we are. Quickly, bring them in."

Rukia and Aizen relinquished their burdens to Unohana, as well as Isane and Hanataro, who had slipped in behind them. By now Ichigo was barely breathing, each shallow breath a struggle. Unohana took over Ichigo's care, leaving the other healers to stabilize the child.

She fitted an oxygen mask over his face with one hand, the other starting a healing Kaido over his chest, all while giving orders to the other healers that had arrived. Shiro was undergoing a similar treatment, though not as dangerously unstable as Ichigo. In no time at all the room was bustling with activity, leaving little room for anyone else.

"Aizen-san, Kuchiki-san, I must ask you to wait outside. There is simply too much going on, and not enough space." Unohana shooed them outside, forcing them to wait outside the door if they wanted to stay.

"I had heard the rumors, but did not expect to find him in such a state." Aizen spoke to Rukia. "I felt all of you return, and though both of their energies were low, it did not seem they were in critical condition."

"It's as you say. Though they were low, they weren't critical. I'm not sure what happened, but he went into his Inner World. After he had been there for a while, they went from okay to this. It happened so suddenly, there was no warning." Rukia trailed off, gaze downcast.

"What is the matter?" Aizen asked softly. Rukia only shook her head.

"Look at me." He gently lifted her chin so he could see her face. Her eyes were bright with worry and unshed tears threatened to fall.

"Do you blame yourself?"

"I-no… I don't know." Rukia stumbled over her words, unsure how to answer.

"It is not your fault. You could not have known this would happen, and you have only helped him. You have done nothing wrong here."

"But I've been with him this whole time. Surely I would have noticed, should have done something sooner."

"You have done what you can do. He needs you, so please be there for him." Rukia nodded and he let go, handing her a napkin. She quickly dried her unshed tears, trying to regain her bearings.

Taking a deep breath she composed herself, crumpling the tissue in her hands and flushing in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. Ah, that is- Thank you, Captain."

"Not to worry. I'll go find us something to drink while we wait. How does that sound?"

-C-S-

Some time later the door finally opened, Unohana's team slowly trickling out of the room. Unohana herself appeared last, stepping out with a tired sigh.

"Sorry for the wait- Oh," Unohana looked down where Aizen sat pinned to the floor. Rukia had fallen against his shoulder and slipped down to now rest in his lap. Aizen gently shook her shoulder to wake her up, amusement briefly crossing his face when she woke, flustered and embarrassed from sleeping in his lap. She fell silent when she noticed Unohana standing next to them.

"How is he?" Aizen asked.

"Not well." Unohana replied honestly. "We've managed to stabilize them for the time being, but it won't last. Ichigo is losing reiryoku faster than he can produce it. I tried to give him a transfusion, but he had a reaction to it and rejected it. I believe because he is a mix of many different races, he cannot accept pure Shinigami reiryoku. I have already sent Hell Butterflies to ask the Visored for a sample of theirs, and we'll see if Ichigo can take it. As a matter of fact, I believe they are already here."

True to her word Shinji and Hiyori had just arrived, reiatsu fluttering in panic. In less than a minute they had found their way to Ichigo's room, Shinji dragged in by Hiyori.

"What do we need to do?!" Hiyori demanded.

"We're here to help. The others are on their way." Shinji butted in.

"I appreciate your help. Come in, we can get started while we wait for the others." Unohana retreated back to the room, followed by the two Visored. Rukia and Aizen stood in the doorway, watching as Unohana guided their hands over Ichigo's chest, showing them how to transfer reiryoku. Ichigo's reiryoku slowly began to rise, coming closer to where it should be. The other Visored showed up while they were working, and were directed to wait outside until they could rotate in. When Unohana had them try to heal Shiro though, the transfer had almost no effect on him.

"Why is it not working for Shiro?" Rukia asked.

"He was taking some of the Hollow energy, but none of the Shinigami. He's simply not taking enough."

"That's- really not good, is it? Isn't he pulling reiryoku from Ichigo to sustain himself?"

"Not enough. At this rate both of them are going to need regular reiryoku transfusions, and they are not even working for Shiro."

"What about… What about one of those arrancar Ichigo made friends with? Nel and Grimmjow? Would Shiro be able to take their reiryoku?"

"It is possible…"

"If it's possible, then I'm going to go get them." Rukia stated. "They've been hanging around Karakura, and even have gigais and a place to stay. I'm sure I can find at least one of them, if not both." She stepped out of the room, forced open a Senkaimon, and was gone. Unohana broke the silence that lingered after the Shinigami.

"We must do all what we can until she returns, and pray she makes it in time."

-C-S-

"What do ya want, ain't ya Kurosaki's chick?" Grimmjow snarled when he found the petite girl suddenly blocking his path. Rukia didn't rise to the jab, pushing her irritation aside to try and have a civil conversation with him.

"Ichigo needs your help."

"Kurosaki? What would that prick ever need from me?"

"It's your reiryoku, he needs a transfer. The Visored are doing what they can, but it's not enough. We need someone whose more Hollow than Shinigami."

"He's losing reiryoku?" Rukia nodded. "Kuso! Fine, I'll help. Can't have him dying on me after all. Better tell Nel too, she's gonna want to know. She can help too."

"How fast can you find your partner?"

"Not a problem. She was going to see some shops, she's more than likely still there."

"Find her and meet me at the Kurosaki Clinic. I need to give his family an update on this."

"Fine. We'll be there." Grimmjow took off to find his partner, leaving Rukia to head the other direction. She had news to deliver to a worried father.

-C-S-

"Captain Unohana, we're back!" Rukia rushed in breathless, Grimmjow and Nel following close behind. Everyone present looked up expectantly, and relief flooded the room at seeing the two worried Arrancar. Kensei and Mashiro stepped back from where they had been working to sit with the others, all of who sat exhausted on the floor; some along the wall of the room, and the rest spilling out into the hallway.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, over here please." Unohana guided them through the crowded room to her patients.

"What on earth happened?" Grimmjow asked, surprised at the sight of the tiny Hollow.

"Grimmjow, look." Nel nudged him and pointed to the cracked shard. "He's like me. Someone broke his mask."

"What kinda bastard-"

"Now's not the time for that!" Nel interrupted. "We have to help him first, you can complain later."

Turning to Unohana she asked, "How do we transfer reiryoku?" Unohana turned her attention to directing the Arrancar, assigning Grimmjow to Ichigo and Nel to Shiro.

"What is this?" Rukia asked. She had just sat down when Isane came over and handed her a silver bottle. Then she glanced around and realized everyone else was also holding one.

"These are modeled after Quincy's Ginto. We are collecting samples of everyone's reiryoku in hopes we can find a combination that will be able to stabilize both. Would you let us take a sample of yours as well?"

"Of course. Do whatever it takes." Everyone's breath suddenly caught when the barely-there signatures suddenly flickered back to life. The combined spiritual pressure of Ichigo and Shiro was slowly evening out, filling the void that had abraded everyone's senses.

"Did it work?" No one knew who voiced the question, but it was soon answered by Shiro stirring and starting to cry. Nel and Unohana traded a glance, then Nel scooped up the child and held him in her lap, sitting on the bed he had previously occupied. She slowly rocked him in her arms, holding one hand on his chest to keep feeding him reiatsu.

"Shh, you're okay now." Even as she was quieting his cries, they could feel his strength returning to him and relief washed through everyone present. Unohana stepped to the center of the room, drawing their attention to her.

"Both are stable for the time being, and are in no immediate danger. They will be moved to ICU where we can continue to closely monitor and care for them, but I cannot allow so many visitors. So I must ask everyone to leave for now. You may come back and visit later, but not all at once. When you do, please bring your Silver Bottles with you. Shinji, Mashiro, Grimmjow and Nel, please stay here. Kuchiki-san, Head Captain, you may stay as well if you wish, but I may not be able to let you in right away."

Receiving various degrees of agreement, Unohana and Isane quickly cleared out the extra visitors. Unohana took the four remaining hybrids aside, while her Lieutenant prepared to transfer Ichigo.

"Nel really took to Shiro, didn't she?" Rukia commented to Aizen. Indeed the woman Hollow still carried him, though Isane had offered to take him.

"She did. Though I suppose it was to be expected. He is in a similar state to how she used to be, I'm sure she sympathises with him." Aizen replied. The room gradually cleared completely, and they followed the group to the new room. They were made to wait outside for a while, until Unohana at last brought out both Visored and Arrancar, thanking them and sending them off.

"Pardon me for asking, but what did you need them for?" Rukia asked.

"I asked to take some more of their reiatsu to use right away. While they were taking turns giving reiryoku, I found theirs to be the most compatible. Shinji and Grimmjow with Ichigo, and Mashiro and Nel with Shiro. Ideally I would like to use only theirs, but we have to try and spread out the load so we don't have anyone ending up here with reiatsu exhaustion." Unohana explained.

"I see. May we go in now?"

"Yes. Isane is still in there, she will be staying with them for a while longer yet. Neither of them have woken yet, so please be mindful and let them rest and recover."

"I understand. Thank you, Captain." Rukia gave a quick but polite bow, then disappeared into the room.

"A word please, Sosuke." Unohana quietly pulled Aizen aside, her expression more serious than before.

"Yes, Retsu? What is it?"

"We nearly lost him today. Even my best was almost not enough to bring him and the child back; it was sheer luck we had a breakthrough with the Arrancar. If that hadn't worked, he and his Zanpakuto would not be in there recovering." She gave a tired sigh, before continuing.

"You know how reckless he is, and he's really gotten himself into trouble this time. Keep watch over him, and help him any way you can. Right now the protector is the one who needs protecting, and he's going to need everyone's support to make it through this. The Visored and Arrancar are providing him reiatsu. Kuchiki-san is staying by his side. He has friends already searching for answers and looking for ways to fix this.

"I'm sure you know what I'm about to tell you, but I feel you need reminding. You are more than his Captain. To him you are a teacher, a mentor. A friend. Someone he looks up to. He saved you, now it's your turn to save him. Don't let him down."

"I promise I will do all in my power. I will not fail him."


	3. Restless Souls

Ch 3: Restless Souls

Unohana quickly made her way through the halls, answering an alert from Ichigo and Shiro's room. Reaching her destination, she stepped inside to find Shiro starting to stir, slowly waking up.

' _It has been two days already. I had hoped they both would have woken by now, but at least having one is a start.'_ Unohana stepped over to Shiro's side, observing him. He finally opened his eyes, staring unseeing at the ceiling.

"Shiro?" She prompted. He turned to her, glazed eyes making it difficult to focus. Slowly they cleared, and he could see the Captain standing next to him.

"Uno...hana?" Shiro questioned.

"Yes. How are you feeling, Shiro?"

"I'm tired, and I hurt."

"What hurts?" She lit a Kaido in her palm, scanning it over him while she listened.

"My head. My chest."

"Anything else?"

"Not really..." He yawned, and she lost his attention.

"Shiro, can you listen to me?" She brought his focus back to her, though she could tell he didn't have much energy left. He gave a tired nod and she continued.

"You lost too much of your spirit energy and we had to give you more. Your body doesn't know how to handle it, which is why you're sore. It will take some time for you to recover, now that you're stable again."

"What about Ichi-nii? Where's Ichi-nii!" He sat up, searching for him. Tears sprung to his eyes when the pain flared, and Unohana gently laid him back down.

"Ichigo is in the other bed. See? He's right there." She moved aside so he could see Ichigo behind her, but instead of reassuring him as she had hoped it had the opposite effect.

"Ichi-nii!" Shiro tried to get up once more, getting to Ichigo more important than the pain he was in. Unohana caught him before he could even get out of the bed, keeping him from falling over and hurting himself. From what she was seeing, she didn't think he could stand if he wanted to. Determined as he was, his body simply couldn't keep up.

"Careful, Shiro. You might hurt yourself."

"Ichigo!" Shiro weakly struggled against her hold, desperately wanting to get free. His brother was right there, and she wouldn't let him go! "Ichigo!"

His voice had risen to a scream, and he was now freely crying from frustration and the pain his struggling had created.

Just when Unohana was about to use a Kaido to calm him, she heard Ichigo speak. The commotion must have made enough noise to have woken him up.

"Give him to me." She glanced over at Ichigo, who made no move to get up, then back to the child she was restraining.

"Shiro, that's enough." Ichigo gained Shiro's full attention with those few words. "You have to calm down before she can let you go."

Shiro's shouting died down, but he couldn't stop crying; the pain was too much and he was too worked up. Picking the child up Unohana sat by Ichigo with Shiro, letting him reach out and hold Ichigo's hand while she rubbed circles on his back. The crying settled down until it was just short hiccups and ragged breathing, and Unohana decided she could let him down next to Ichigo. He immediately latched onto Ichigo, having crawled onto him and wrapped his arms around his neck.

They stayed like that for several minutes, Ichigo holding the child laying on his chest while he finished his tantrum. Eventually he stopped altogether, having cried himself to sleep.

"How are you doing?" Unohana broke the silence that had fallen.

"Tired. Sore. My chest and head kinda hurt."

"Perhaps Shiro shouldn't be laying on you then."

"No, it's okay. He's already sleeping, and I'm actually feeling better with him here. The pain in my chest isn't as bad as it was before."

"I suppose it's alright then. Can you tell me what happened before you passed out? Rukia told me you went to your inner world, and were there for an unusually long time. Then you collapsed, and both you and Shiro were rushed here for emergency treatment."

"I was looking for- Kuso! I was looking for Kurogetsu, but I wasn't able to get to him before I was pushed out. I saw him though, he was passed out in there. I have to go back and help him!"

"I cannot allow you-"

"Unohana, please! Where is Shiro's sword, I have to go back!"

"Ichigo." He paused at her firm tone, allowing her to speak. "I cannot allow you to return so soon. But, seeing as this is an extreme and unusual situation, there may be another option."

"What?"

"There is a way I can enter another's Inner World. I could enter yours, and heal Kurogetsu once I've found him."

"If I can't go, then you do it. I can't just do nothing knowing he's hurt and alone."

"I understand. I'm afraid I will have to put you back to sleep for this though." Ichigo nodded his consent, and Unohana pressed her fingers to his forehead, green light shining from them. His eyes closed and head lolled to the side, once more asleep. She called Isane in, informing her of what she was doing and what needed to be done.

With Isane now monitoring the whole group, Unohana sat cross legged on the bed that had recently opened, Shiro's sword in her lap. It took a great deal of focus to synchronize with someone else's reiatsu, it was a technique that was very difficult even for Captains who specialised in Kido and Reiatsu skills. Only Yamamoto, Aizen, Kisuke, and herself were known to be able to perform such a feat. Muramasa was a special case that was not counted, as it was a Zanpakuto and not a Shinigami intruding on another's soul.

At last locking in on his reiryoku, she forced her conscious into it. It reacted to her, pushing at her to keep her out. It was a battle of wills, her reiryoku against his own, struggling against each other. At last it slipped and she pushed through, falling through a void as her mind left reality and entered another world. The black faded to blue and sideways clouds disoriented her, nearly causing her to miss her landing on the side of a large skyscraper.

The sideways city posed an interesting sight, but there was no time to stop and study it. The inner world was filled with lingering spirit energy, making it difficult to pinpoint any new traces. Not wasting any time she materialized spirit ribbons, a red and a black reaching to the sky, and a blue stretching into the distance.

Following the blue ribbon, it only took a few minutes to locate the lost spirit. She found him collapsed, the teenaged spirit's reiryoku as dangerously low as Ichigo's had been only a few days ago. Settling beside him and moving him to his back, she discovered a reddish stain where he had been laying. She ran a hand through his hair, easily finding where he had hit his head and split the skin. It was an old wound, already closing on its own.

Deeming the small wound unimportant, she performed a quick scan that revealed while he was suffering from reiryoku depletion, he was not losing any more. He was still generating reiryoku, all he needed was a boost. Green light filled her hands, hovering over his chest as she began to restore his power. She sat in silence for some time as she worked; she was bringing him back from almost nothing after all.

Eventually he woke, tired mind not fully functional at first. Then he jolted awake, realising the person above him shouldn't be there.

"Wha- you!" He jolted, grabbing his head as the jarring motion made his headache known. "Captain, what are you doing here!?"

"Hello to you too, Kurogetsu. Ichigo was concerned about you, but unable to come himself. I am here both on his behalf, and to heal you should you need it, which proved to be true."

"How is Ichigo? And Shirogetsu?" He asked.

"Both are fine for now. You are the only one still in need of attention."

"What do you mean fine? Why can I not connect to either of them? What happen-"

"Kurogetsu." She cut him off before he could get himself worked up. "Both are safe. They are in my care, and I assure you they are in no danger. Now, Ichigo was worried enough about you to let me come here. I need to know what happened that you were to be found unconscious with almost no reiryoku."

"... When I felt Ichigo losing too much power, I started giving him mine. I had hoped it would be fixed soon enough it wouldn't be an issue, but at that point I could no longer communicate with them and had no idea what was happening. Some time later Ichigo came here, I assume looking for me. I had given too much though, and was too weakened to go to him or help him find me. My power ran dry shortly after he came, and then I don't know what happened after that."

"According to what he and others have told me, he was forced from the inner world, and collapsed in the real world. It sounds as though he was using your power without knowing, and when you ran out he only had a limited time before what he had left ran dry as well. When he ran out completely, he was forced from the Inner Word, and collapsed in the real world as well. They were rushed to the fourth, and have been undergoing treatment since then to stabilize them and bring their reiryoku levels back up.

"Since they have been getting regular reiatsu transfers from others, they no longer need to draw on your power. However, you gave enough that you nearly killed yourself in the process. If Ichigo had not allowed me here you would not have been healed, and may have never woken up. I know as a Zanpakuto you were trying your best to protect Ichigo, but what would it have done to him if he lost you? What would it do to Shirogetsu, your other half?"

"I..."

"This is not a scolding, I simply want you to think about it."

"I do not regret what I did."

"I don't expect you to. I know how important he is to you after all." The light in her hands went out, and she finally let Kurogetsu move away. "You should be fine now as long as you don't do this again. I wouldn't recommend trying to manifest though, give yourself a little longer before you try to do that. I'm sure you're anxious about Ichigo, but it would be best to wait until he can return here himself."

"Thank you."

-C-S-

Checking in on Ichigo and Shiro the next day, she found Ichigo teaching Shiro how to fold origami. Judging by the numerous paper animals scattered around, they had been at it for a while. Hearing the door open, they looked up from where they were sitting on the floor.

"Captain Unohana." Ichigo greeted as he stood.

"How are you doing?" She returned.

"Ah, we're doing better. Right, Shiro?" Ichigo looked down at Shiro who had also stood and latched onto his sleeve.

"Yeah!" Shiro smiled at Unohana, a little more comfortable than before.

"Can I see?" She knelt down to his level, and he hesitantly walked over to her. A brief once over still showed a slight fever, but overall he seemed much better. Suddenly he flinched, then reached out to grab onto her.

"What do you have!" He demanded. Both Unohana and Ichigo were surprised by the sudden change, but Unohana replied before Ichigo could scold him.

"You mean this?" Unohana pulled out the plastic bag she had brought and held it out to Shiro, who immediately snatched it away.

"Shiro!" Ichigo scolded, then turned back to Unohana. "Sorry about that. You went to the SRDI?"

"Yes. To get information. I also paid a visit to Soi-Fon to get this for you." Unohana said. "This is yours isn't it, Shiro?" At the prompting Shiro snapped out of it, and returned his attention to her.

"Ah, yeah…"

"Then it is for you to keep." She closed his hands around the bag, and rose from the floor.

"Um… Captain?" Shiro spoke quietly, looking at the floor.

"Yes?" She prompted.

"I'm sorry. Thank you." Unohana gave him a small smile.

"It's alright. Just try to mind yourself." Now she turned to Ichigo. "Now, I do believe it is your turn. Let's take a look, shall we?"

-C-S-

Staying still and doing nothing never was Ichigo's strong point. Even when bedridden with fever it was only a matter of time before he would force himself to sit up and look out of the window, or - when he felt less shitty - grab a book and read for as long as his vision stayed clear. Shirogetsu was no different. The Hollowfied zanpakuto was more than willing to wake his wielder up in the middle of the night if that meant it would drive away his boredom.

So it went without saying, both Ichigo and Shiro were tired of being cooped up at the Fourth and couldn't wait to leave. They had exhausted everything that had been given to them to keep them busy, and were restless.

In the several days they have been cooped up in the private patient rooms of the Fourth they had used up several packs of origami paper (which Isane had given them from Yachiru's stock in the SWA's supplies closet), the pencils they got from Rukia had become too small to be used for drawing, and the string they had played games with and made shapes from had snapped from overuse.

Unfortunately Unohana hadn't made it to them on her morning rounds yet, so they were left to wait a little longer.

Shiro retrieved the bag Unohana had returned to him a few days earlier, and spread the pieces out on the bed, Ichigo sitting next to him to watch. Every day they since then they had done this, and the pieces were slightly different every day. The edges had become rougher, and fine dust covered the pieces.

Shiro ran his finger through the dust and both watched in fascination as it turned into black energy that absorbed into his skin. There was a slight influx of reiatsu that settled down again as soon as the energy vanished. They hadn't figured out yet if it was disintegrating because he couldn't sustain it, or if he was subconsciously trying to absorb it and take the energy back. Soon there was a knock on the door, then said door opened to reveal Unohana.

"Good morning." Her greeting was met with a 'good morning' from Ichigo, and an enthusiastic Shiro running over to reach up to her.

"How are you doing, little Shiro?" She knelt down to his level to give a quick examination.

"I'm fine. I'm ready to go!" He was bouncing up and down as he spoke, clearly full of energy that needed to be burned.

"Everything looks good, you're free to leave." Unohana finished her examination, giving the two of them an all clear. "However, I would recommend you stay in Soul Society for the time being."

"Yeah, I thought about that. We can't really go back to the Living World right now because he's a spirit, and I have no idea if he could even use a gigai." Ichigo replied.

"Not only that, but you will be able to recover lost reiryoku better with the high concentration of reishi here." She glanced at Shiro when she spoke, and Ichigo took the hint.

"Even with Mayuri dealt with, I don't know how I feel about hanging around Soul Society. But it seems like we don't really have much of a choice, with our current condition and all. If we stay here though, I should be getting back to the Squad. I'm sure Aizen will have work for me to do."

"You should not be worrying about Squad duties right now. Your Captain even stopped by and specifically said I was not to allow you to return to work right away. He is handling things just fine, and can manage for a while longer while you recover." Ichigo was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Then it opened to reveal Rukia, dressed in layers with snow in her hair and a bundle of cloth in her arms.

"Hey Rukia." Ichigo greeted.

"I heard Unohana planned on releasing you today, so I came to pick you up."

"They are free to go, I shall leave them to you." Unohana dismissed herself from the room.

"Captain Ukitake was asking about you." Rukia stated. "He wanted me to bring you two back so he could see you."

"Really?"

"Yes. You do know he thinks of you as one of his own, he's really come to care for you."

"Ah, no. I didn't realize."

"Ichi-nii~, can we go yet?" Shiro whined. He pulled away from Ichigo and latched onto Rukia's sleeve instead, impatiently bouncing up and down.

"We can go, right after you bundle up. It's snowing pretty hard out there." Rukia replied. "I don't suppose either of you have coats, do you?"

"No." Ichigo replied, handing Shiro his tiny version of Zangetsu before proceeding to tidy up the room.

Rukia sighed, unfolding the cloth in her arms. "Captain Ukitake thought you wouldn't, so he had me bring one for you. Problem is I only have this one, and I didn't know where I could borrow one small enough for Shiro."

"Oh, that's not a problem at all. We can use this for now, and I know who he can borrow one from." He finished straightening up the room then turned back to Rukia and Shiro.

"Hey Shiro, come here." Ichigo knelt down on the floor, allowing Shiro to climb on his back. He lifted Shiro up high enough to hold onto his shoulder, then stood up. "Were doing this Yachiru style. Put the coat over both of us, and we'll see how it works."

Rukia shook out the unfolded the coat and draped it over their backs, before coming around front to adjust it so it would stay.

"That should do. The snow was getting heavier when I got here, we should leave before it gets much worse. It may not bother me, but I don't want you turning into a popsicle out there."

"I'd be more concerned about you turning me into a popsicle than the snow." Ichigo muttered.

"We should get going." Rukia led the way out of the barracks, and they were met at the entrance by an icy blast of wind. Stepping out into the storm, they began to push through the abusive weather to make it to their next destination. It only took a few minutes before Shiro decided to pull the coat over his head and hide under the warm material.

When Ichigo's face started to turn red from the cold, Rukia took off her hat and pulled him down to force the pink hat onto his head despite his protests. The rest of the walk was spent in a comfortable silence, all three of them too cold to talk. The gates of the Thirteenth eventually came into view, and they could see Jushiro coming out to meet them.

"Welcome back Rukia. Good morning, Ichigo!" He greeted. Shiro popped his head out from under the coat and Jushiro looked mildly startled, before smiling again.

"And you would be?" Jushiro took the child from Ichigo's back as they entered the warm building, freeing Ichigo to remove his hat and extra layers.

"Shiro. You're a Shiro too, right?" He replied.

"Yes, I'm Jushiro Ukitake. It's nice to meet you, little one." Jushiro set Shiro on the ground and brushed his hair out of his face, tangled from hiding under the coat.

"No work this morning, Captain?" Rukia inquiried.

"Only a few reports, hardly any at all. Everything's been quiet lately, something I appreciate very much." Jushiro lead them to a common room where they could sit and talk. There were a few other Shinigami there, talking or playing games together, but other than the initial greeting made no further acknowledgment of their presence. Sitting in a relatively empty corner, Shiro allowed Jushiro to pull him into his lap and start smoothing out his tangled hair as they talked.

"I didn't believe what I had been told. Even now, with the evidence right in front of me, I'm having a hard time believing it. As it was though, it seems the report was accurate enough." Jushiro sighed as he ran his fingers through Shiro's hair, working out the knots.

"I never expected something like this to happen. Although, we should have been more careful. We knew Kurotsuchi had taken an interest in you, but I suppose none of us expected him to try anything with the rest of us here. That was an arrogant assumption to make."

"Hey, I already knew about Captain Creepy. I usually try to avoid him, but I got careless. It's my own fault for getting caught."

"That's not true! You shouldn't have to be on guard all the time!" Rukia protested.

"Not all the time," Ichigo agreed. "But with him, I definitely should be. Tell me no one else is on edge with him around."

"Well… yeah, I guess so. Most of the lower seats are terrified of him." Rukia said.

"He is a rather unpleasant person. He makes even some of the Lieutenants uncomfortable." Jushiro added.

"Well it's good to know it's not just me. But that doesn't help us with the current situation at all. Shiro can't stay like this, and I don't think I'll be able to take this for long either. As it is, he's pulling on my reiatsu to keep himself stable."

"That is indeed a problem. Neither of you will last long if both of you are drawing from a single source." Jushiro tugged the last knot from Shiro's hair, before wrapping his arms around the child in his lap. "Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do you recall from when you were at Kurotsuchi's lab?"

"He had Ichi-nii trapped and was hurting him. I tried to help, but got knocked out. I don't know what happened after that. But when I woke up I was home with Ichigo."

"What did you do when you intervened?"

Shiro shifted uncomfortably in Jushiro's lap, hesitant to reply. When he refused to answer, Jushiro gently pushed him off his lap, allowing Shiro to return to Ichigo. He sat between Ichigo and Rukia, quietly clinging to his older half.

"Shiro?" Ichigo prompted. "It's okay, you know. Jushiro's just curious, he's not gonna be mad or anything."

"Ichi-nii was hurt and couldn't fight, so I jumped in and grabbed his sword. I tried to fight the Captain, but he was to fast and broke my mask."

Jushiro looked at Ichigo, seeming to ask for something, before Ichigo nodded slightly.

"Do you know what happens when a mask gets broken?" He asked. Shiro shook his head.

"Normally, that being dies. However, there are rare exceptions where that does not happen. Instead, they are left severely weakened and their Reiatsu is dangerously unstable. The unstable energy leaks from the broken mask, and their body often shrinks in size to accommodate the small amount of energy that is left." Jushiro explained.

"Am I broken then?" Shiro asked quietly.

"You are not broken." Ichigo stated firmly. "You just need time to recover from Mayuri getting ahold of you."

"Oh." Shiro looked down at the floor, clearly debating something. They waited for him to continue, and were rewarded for their patience moments later. "Hey Ichi?"

"Yeah Shiro?"

"Why does no one else have masks? Am I the only one?" The table fell silent when nobody knew how to answer him.

"Shiro, would you go with Rukia while Ichigo and I have a talk? Ichigo will answer your question when he comes for you." Jushiro requested. Shiro nodded, taking Rukia's hand as both stood and walked away. When both were gone, Jushiro turned to Ichigo with a serious expression.

"He doesn't know anything, does he? That he's a Zanpakuto, you're his Shinigami, or anything else?"

"No. Right now he's a kid, he doesn't need to know he's a weapon."

"I understand you want to protect him, but that is not what he needs right now. What he needs is to understand who he is and the situation you are in. Being kept in the dark will not help him heal, and most certainly will not restore his memory."

"He's already in a strange situation, I don't want to cause him anymore worry."

"Shiro is not a child, he is only stuck in the body of one. And his mindset is the result of his confusion and distorted memory. If he remembers this when he recovers, I'm sure he would not appreciate being treated as helpless."

"I guess. But still. It's just… I have a hard time not seeing him as one."

"It's not going to be an easy task, but it needs to be done. But I do have one piece of advice for you, should you do this."

"What's that?"

"Don't tell him everything. Make him figure it out on his own, otherwise he may only listen to what you are saying, and not actually restore his memory."

"Yeah, I got it. I'll have to talk with him. I'm just not gonna be looking forward to it."

"Why not just get it done quickly then? Go find him, I doubt they went too far. Actually, I believe Rukia took him to her room here at the barracks." Jushiro stood, indicating the conversation was over. With a sigh Ichigo stood as well, silently searching for Shiro's reiatsu.

"Thanks, Jushiro. I'll see you later, I guess." Ichigo said. "This may be a long talk."

"Just do what has to be done." Jushiro gave an encouraging squeeze to his shoulder, then left him on his own.


	4. Broken Pieces

Chapter 4: Broken Pieces

-C-S-

"Rukia." It was said softly, barely above a whisper, but she heard it nonetheless. Looking up from where she had been showing Shiro her Chappy collection, Rukia saw Ichigo standing in the doorway. Shiro followed her gaze, then jumped up to run over and cling onto Ichigo.

"Ichi-nii! Is everything okay? You look tired." Shiro's excitement almost instantly turned to worry at seeing Ichigo.

"It's- I'm alright. But I do need to talk to you. It's something important." Ichigo sat across from him, and Rukia scooted out of the way to listen.

"You asked why no one else had masks. The answer is, everyone here is a Shinigami, even me. But you're not a Shinigami. Do you know what you are?"

"No." Ichigo reached over and gently pulled Shiro's shirt collar open, revealing the hole punched in his chest.

"What is this?" Ichigo asked, placing a hand over the hole.

"It's a... hole?" The childish tone vanished from his voice as his tone turned serious. "But don't only Hollows have holes in their chest?"

"Yeah. But Hollow is only part of what you are. What do you think of this sword?" Ichigo took Shiro's blade and placed it between them.

"This is me- uh, I mean- my sword?" Shiro paused, confused by his own words.

"This is you?" Ichigo prompted.

"Yeah- no. It is, but I'm here. But it is me!" Shiro insisted. "I'm a Hollow, but that sword is me too! I'm a Hollowfied Zanpakuto!" He finally figured it out. "I'm your zanpakuto."

"There you go, you got it." Ichigo said proudly.

Shiro fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Where's Ossan? Why is he not here with us?"

"He's in our inner world, where you should be too. You should be with him."

"Oh yeah, cause he's.. part of me… but he's a Zanpakuto? But that's-I'm the opposite of him."

' _Together, Shirogetsu and Kurogetsu become Zangetsu.'_ A memory flashed through his head.

"We're Zangetsu, your Zanpakuto." A barrier had broken, and more memories quickly followed. Shiro lowered his head groaning, pieces of memory snapping into place and causing a headache. There was still so much missing, but a small part had been restored.

"Shiro, are you okay?" Ichigo asked.

"Shut up, Ichigo." He snapped. Rukia opened her mouth to scold him, surprised by the personality change, but Ichigo held up his hand to stop her.

"Since when do I ever listen to you?" He retorted. "Are you yourself now?"

"I said shut up. God you're annoying." Shiro looked back up at them, clearly annoyed.

"Welcome back, Shirogetsu." Ichigo gave a small smile which was returned with a scowl. Funny how their usual expressions were swapped. Shirogetsu sheathed his sword as he stood, prompting Ichigo and Rukia to do the same. He touched the shard of bone on his face, which dissolved into black reishi with a tearing motion.

"So you remember everything now? You're his Zanpakuto again?" Rukia asked.

"Everything's there, and most of it fits together. There are still a few things that aren't quite right, but for the most part I'm fine. Wha-? Hey, no!" The child size Hollow protested when Rukia suddenly picked him up to study the newly personified Chibi Hollow.

"Ichi-nii~ get me down!" Shirogetsu whined, then covered his mouth when he realized what he had done.

Ichigo laughed lightly, amused by the childish tone, as he retrieved the child and set him back on the floor. "Guess that's one thing that still hasn't been fixed. You may be Shirogetsu again, but you're still a kid right now. You're not gonna get back to normal that quickly."

"I said I'm fine! I'm not a kid, and I won't act like one." He crossed his arms and glared at Ichigo, expressing his frustration.

"Right now you are, at least physically. And even though you have most of your memory and personality back, you still have some of the childlike mentality. You're not yourself just yet."

"I don't care! The only difference right now is size, I'll be back to normal soon enough." The indignation turned to anger. "But you know what? This is your fault! If you hadn't gotten yourself caught, we wouldn't have been split and I wouldn't have had to risk my neck saving you! And then I wouldn't be like this!" Furious tears welled up in his eyes, angering him further.

"And now because of this stupid childish form, I can't even control how my body reacts." Shiro wiped the offending tears away with his sleeve, before turning his back to them and sitting down to sulk.

"Shiro." Ichigo called, but received no response. "Shirogetsu. I know you're upset, but this isn't something we could have seen coming. And sitting there pouting isn't going to make things any better. I'm going to need you to help solve this." Ichigo knelt beside him as he talked.

"Ichi…" Shiro turned and buried himself in Ichigo's arms, holding tight and allowing his childish self to cry out his frustration.

-C-S-

Ichigo closed the door behind him as they stepped out into the hall. "I want to visit the SRDI. Maybe we can find some clues there."

"But Ichigo," Rukia began, "Unohana Taichou and the Onmitsukido have already investigated. What could we possibly find that they didn't? Besides, the labs have probably been restricted access by now."

"I don't know." Ichigo admitted. "But I still want to go. And I'm part of this case, I don't see why they wouldn't let me in."

"I suppose. You probably shouldn't take Shiro though. We don't know which mindset he'll be in. If he's normal it would be fine, but if he switches back to being a child it could cause a lot of trouble if it scares him going back to the place this all started."

"Yeah, you're right. Would it be alright if we left Shiro here? He seemed to like Jushiro."

"I'm sure Ukitake Taichou would love to babysit for a bit, as long as he's not busy. He's always loved children."

"Alright. I would like to go sooner rather than later, so let's go ask him." Ichigo stepped back into Rukia's room, calling Shiro over to him.

"Rukia and I have to go on an errand, do you want to stay with Jushiro for a bit?" Shiro nodded silently, worn out from crying earlier.

"Let's go then." They started walking, Shiro shying away from Ichigo and clinging to Rukia instead. A few minutes later they had found Jushiro, and left Shiro with him. Finally they were on their way to the SRDI, hopefully to find some answers.

-C-S-

In the end, the visit had proven fruitless. While they had been allowed in, they hadn't found anything of use or interest. Now they were on their way back walking through Seireitei, but it was a slow trip. Ichigo kept falling behind, and Rukia would have to stop and wait for him. After stopping one more time for him to catch up, she turned back and took a long look at him.

"Are you okay? You don't look so good." Rukia stated, observing his pale face and ragged breathing.

"I thought I was, but I really don't know. Since we left, I've been getting sharp pains in my head." Ichigo winced and rubbed his head as another pain shot through.

"They seem to be getting worse. I should probably head back. I think-" He was suddenly cut off when he stumbled and collapsed in the snow.

"Ichigo!" Rukia immediately knelt down to check on him. His breathing was still ragged and shaky, and a cold sweat had broken out. She tried to help him back up, but his legs couldn't support him.

"You look like you could use some help." Shunsui had been passing by and saw them go down.

"Captain Kyoraku! Ah- no, we're fine-"

"Ah, let me see him." Shunsui draped his pink kimono over Ichigo before easily lifting Ichigo onto his back.

"Hey!" Ichigo protested a moment, before reluctantly settling down against the Captain's warm back. "...Thanks."

"Hn. I couldn't just leave you here, could I?" Shunsui replied. They began walking again, Rukia leading the way.

"Mind me asking what happened?" He asked.

"Ichigo?" Rukia prompted.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I've been having sharp pains in my head, but that last one knocked the wind out of me."

"We should take you to the Fourth then." Rukia stated.

"No, that won't do anything." Ichigo paused to yawn, then pushed on. "I need Shiro. Just find Shiro for me…"

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked. The only reply she got was a muffled 'Hm?'

"Let him rest, Kuchiki." Shunsui advised. "I'll take him to the Thirteenth, you go ahead and let Jushiro know we're coming."

"Of course!" Rukia hurried off to find Shiro and her Captain, leaving Shunsui with Ichigo.

"You poor child. You always manage to find yourself in the middle of our problems." He sighed. "We knew it was only a matter of time before he tried something, yet we didn't do anything to avoid it. And now you've paid for our mistake."

Shunsui mulled over his thoughts as he walked, and soon found himself at the Thirteenth's barracks. When he passed Jushiro's office on his way to Ichigo's room, his friend called out to him.

"Is that you, Shunsui?" Jushiro asked. Shunsui paused, backtracking to respond.

"Just dropping off your honorary squad member." He replied lightly. Jushiro glanced at Ichigo sleeping on Shunsui's back, then to the child sleeping in his own lap.

"Let's take them to a spare room to rest." Jushiro stood, handing Shiro over to Rukia. He led the way out of his office, the rest following behind him. A short walk down the hall and they finally arrived at their destination. Ichigo was put to bed then Rukia placed Shiro on his chest, the same way she had seen them sleeping at the Fourth. Both of them seemed to relax, now resting quietly. Jushiro drew the blanket over them, then spoke quietly.

"I'm worried about him." He admitted. "Who knows what actually happened. All we have is the limited information Ichigo has been able to give us, but that's not enough to know how to fix this whole mess.

"This is our own fault, so it is now our responsibility to help him get through this."


End file.
